The Story Of Slapstick

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_story_of_slapstick/

Will most likely give this a go tonight. Personally, I can hardly wait to see what wonderful insights Matthew Horne has into the world of slapstick...

Did they not think to perhaps include Paul Merton in this? Considering he has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of classic slapstick routines? Lee Evans might have been another person who has a few interesting things to say on the subject. Hope they show the classic clip of the late Buster Merryfield falling over at the British Comedy Awards...

It should be an interesting programme.

This will probably all be telly stuff, so I imagine that Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther series won't get a mention.

If the superbly brilliant Bottom doesn't get a mention as being one of the best slapstick comedies ever, then I will be quite cross.

EDIT: Me being cross - Grrr.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 26 2009, 4:22 PM GMT

then I will be quite cross.

.

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That'll make a change! Sorry Mr Carpark.

I like a bit of slapstick, me.

Witness this superb Mr Show sketch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyrM7GxyzGg

Any Charlie Drake, Jack Douglas, Mr Pastry ?

One would certainly flipping well hope so.

Could have been a little more factual (as opposed to 45 minutes of opinion), but I did really enjoy that. Shocked at how little some people were mentioned though. We saw a couple of clips, but I don't recall Norman Wisdom's name once. And only a passing mention of Benny Hill - not even a video clip!

Why do I always tune into these types of shows in the hopes of learning something new or interesting - it's just the same old talking head, show a vid unimaginiative clip show tat that seems to pass for programming in this day and age.

And as always, I tuned in from the beginning and then switched over for twenty minutes as they did the obligatory Charlie Chaplin / Buster Keaton / Laurel and Hardy history of comedy, black and white bollocks.

'Ooh Buster Keaton did his own stunts and they were incredibly dangerous.' Yes, we know, we've been told that story almost every year for the last two decades.

Oh and no mention of Jackass, the most publicised and influential global slapstick phenomena ever.

Poor.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 26 2009, 11:24 PM GMT

Oh and no mention of Jackass, the most publicised and influential global slapstick phenomena ever.

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The most influential ever?! I think you're overegging the pudding a tad there!!

Just a smidgen!

Quote: Matthew Stott @ December 26 2009, 11:26 PM GMT

The most influential ever?! I think you're overegging the pudding a tad there!!

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Not really, several television series, Hollywood films and basically the reason You Tube became so flippin' famous - hordes of teenage idiots copying their idols and posting the unfortunate results all over the Interwebs.

People didn't chuck themselves off roofs on BMXs all over the world because of Buster Keaton or Michael Crawford.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 26 2009, 11:29 PM GMT

Michael Crawford.

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No, they used roller-skates!

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 26 2009, 11:29 PM GMT

Not really,

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I think so. It depends who you think they're influencing, because they're certainly not influencing comedians really, which is what this show was about. More just the general public into twatting about a bit in front of a camera. Though 'You've Been Framed' was already doing that.

Jackass was a puerile offshoot of slapstick principles, not the root of a whole sub-genre or pioneer to a new comic tool.

But even more crucially, it was stunts, not slapstick. The latter is planned. The Jackass people knew what they were going to do, but there was no element of control or scripting to it (unless it was a completely fake show that deceived the audience). They didn't know what the outcome would be.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ December 26 2009, 11:32 PM GMT

I think so. It depends who you think they're influencing

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The world and everyone in it, as in global. I know as small island people, it is hard to wrap your mind around such a big concept, but life exists outside the borders of Great Britain.

Jackass was huge, much bigger then any British comedy show and it's antics were copied by reckless fools in almost every country on Earth. But at it's heart, Jackass was a slapstick comedy programme and the fact it was omitted from The Story of Slapstick, just goes to show how narrow minded, blinkered and parochial British television people can be.